Geoff D's Spicy Lentil Soup

Spicy Lentil Soup

Ripe tomatoes - about 450 grams
A medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon sugar
chopped fresh coriander
1/2 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon sambal jahe (ginger sambal) or sambal oelek (or just some squished fresh red chilis)
water or stock

Soften onion in olive oil, add coriander powder, cumin, and sambal, and fry together. Add chopped tomatoes and cover with water or stock, simmer until tomatoes are starting to look squishy. At this stage, you can hit it with a stick blender to produce you desired smoothness. Add sugar & red lentils, simmer for about 20 minutes (all that is needed to soften the lentils). Garnish with chopped coriander.

In winter, add some tomato paste/tomato sauce/canned tomatoes/sundried tomatoes for a richer tomato taste.

Guaranteed yummy.

Luck's Apricot Jam

7 lbs apricots halved

1 cup water

5 & 1/2 lbs sugar

Wash fruit & cut in half.

Pour water into heavy based saucepan and add apricots.

Bring to boil slowly and then simmer for 20 mins.

While fruit is cooking warm sugar in a dish in the oven.

Then stir warmed sugar gradually into the fruit.

Boil until the jam sets, when tested on a cold plate in the fridge.

This can take an hour once the sugar is added.

Tips

450 gm = 1lb of fruit.

5 1/2 lbs sugar = 2 & 3/4 kg

My sister told me not to use the clear covers that can be bought for jam. Use the lids that have a pop top as this will seal the jar tight and the jam will last longer.